The twenty-something crowd at [insert name here] Theatre Company knows its demographic target — maybe because it's looked in the mirror.

Its productions of "The Rocky Horror Show" and "Evil Dead the Musical" drew sizable audiences dominated by young theatergoers who knew, and enjoyed, the material. Now its production of "Avenue Q," the Tony-winning spoof of "Sesame Street," is proving just as shrewd a choice.

Under the direction of Chris Owens, this production is fun, coarse and cheery, exactly what the audience jammed into the LGBT Center of St. Louis is looking for.

The question is, how much of it will they get to see?

This is a production at war with the venue where it plays.

Numbers like "Everyone's A Little Bit Racist," "The Internet Is for Porn" and "Schadenfreude" are as hilarious as ever, and well-delivered by performers including Connie Reinhardt, Nicole Robbins, Paul Cereghino and Wes Jenkins. Many of them play more than one role; some of them manipulate the puppets who give this show about young adults looking for love and careers in New York its distinctive appeal.

The big puppets come from the show's licensing company and look just like you-know-who (at least, you know who if you were a preschooler anytime since about 1970); the videos that are part of the show come with the package, too.

But because of the human and puppet combinations, most scenes include twice as many "performers" as usual. And the itsy-bitsy venue — an office that is not in any sense a theater — probably couldn't hold half of them comfortably.

The audience is jammed in so tightly that the actors have to push their way through the crowd to make exits and entrances. The blocking, if you can call it that, means lining up on the strip of floor available between the backdrop of shabby apartment buildings and the first row of theatergoers. A choreographer, Kelly Stevens, is credited, but unless you're seated in the front row, you're not going to see anybody below the waist — maybe not below the chin.

On top of everything else, there's a five-piece band, directed by Joseph Eckelkamp, to swing through the bright tunes by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx. But because the musicians sit directly behind the backdrop, they are unbearably loud. Live music is usually a welcome plus, but in this case maybe the band should be stationed someplace across the street.

There's a lot to be said for unconventional stages, and "Avenue Q," with its youthful attitude and deliberately downscale style, sounds like a good choice for something offbeat. But there are limits. The LGBT center may be philosophically in tune with this show, but it can't provide the space that this production and its audience deserve.

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'Avenue Q'

Who [insert name here] Theatre Company • When 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday • Where LGBT Center of St. Louis, 4337 Manchester Avenue • How much $20; $18 for students and older adults • More info inhtheatre.com